One story press



May 6, 1-941. V I s jT g 2,241,006

ONE STORY PRESS Filed June 2, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet l Invenfi rs.- Geaaye 6.5, and h ggkdzoberdr, Jk,

May 6, 1941.

G. G. SMITH El AL ONE STORY PRESS Fiied June 2, ,1936

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors.- Georye 625W, M Ezgklokrgfi,

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y 1 G.IG. SMITH HAL 224L006 ONE STORY PRESS Filed June 2, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet s Invenfbra: George 6. SM,

May 6, 1941. G. ca. SMITH ETAL ONE STORY PRESS Filed June 2, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I Invenfin-a: eargye 6.8%, and lfzyh eoem,

Patented May 6, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ONE STORY PRESS George G. Smith, Vernon, Tex., and Hugh Roberts, Jr., Columbus, Ga., assignors to Gen- Tennial Cotton Gin 00., Columbus, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Application June 2, 1936, Serial No. 83,142

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in structures thereon for comprising and supporting the doors and other parts of press box structures, such assembly being capable of rotation from filling to pressing positions about a vertical axis.

Another feature of the present invention is.

having thereon the door structures for the press box.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision, in a press, of a rotatable assembly consisting of a strong girder arrangement, and having stiff upstanding structures for supporting the girder arrangement against warping or twisting and being stiff in itself to provide rigid pivot means for the press box doors.

Still another feature of the present invention is the provision of press dogs capable of clearing operation during the tamping or filling period for avoiding damage to themselves and to the tamping means, and being capable of operation during the pressing period for withdrawing them from the baled material.

Still another feature of the present invention is the provision of an up-packing ram structure which is connected to and supported on the fixed frame structure of the press.

With these and other features as objects in view, as will appear in-the course of the following specification and claims, an illustrative form of practicing the invention is set out on the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the press.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same with end support structures omitted for clearness.

Figure 3 is an upright transverse section, on an enlarged scale, substantially on line 3-45 of Fig. 1. V

Figure 4 is a corresponding section substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the ram structure and its mounting, on an enlarged scale.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view of the ram structure, substantially on line 66 of Fig. 1.

Figure 7 is a view, on a greatly enlarged scale, of a press dog and its mounting structure.

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale, showing the clamping devices for the doors.

In these drawings, the press comprises a pair of lower channel beams II], II which are connected rigidly with an upstanding post I2 at the end adjacent the press ram, this post in turn being rigidly connected at the top to a pair. of top channel members I3, I4. At the upright central axis of the press is provided a fixed column I5 (Figs. 1 and 3) which extends through an aperture in a bottom block I6 (Fig. 3) which fills the space between the two lower channels I0 and II and is received between the inwardly projecting flanges thereof, being held fixedly in position by the bolts IT. The column I5 is threaded at its ends. The lower end of the column receives a nut I8 which rests upon the upper surface of the block I6 and is pinned against rotation relative to the column I5; and the rigidity of the column I5 with respect to the block I6 is assured by a lower nut I9 which engages a lower surface provided on the block I6. It will be noted that the block I6 is recessed so that the end of the column I5 and its nut I9 do not extend below the lower faces of the channel members I0 and II. The upper end of the column I5 extends between the two channel members I3 and I4 and passes through an aperture of the head block -20 which is mounted on the upper flanges of the upper channels I3 and I4 and secured thereto by-bolts 2|. A nut 22 engages the upper threads of the column I5 and is adjusted to fit against the lower face of the head block 20, being secured in position by a locking screw 23. The top nut 24 on the column I5 engages the upper surface of the head block 20. Thus the column I5 operates as a support member for the ends of the girders I3, I4 which are adjacent the central axis of the press, and also serves for transmitting pressing strains from the upper members to the lower members and thus to the frame of the press ram, so that both the .weight and pressing strains are transmitted entirely by parts comprised in the press itself.

At the filling end of the press, it is provided with a loading and tamping structure of known type which has been shown generally by the dotted lines LT, and rests upon a top angleiron 25 supported by a channel 2% which is connected at its bottom to a transverse channel member llll which in turn is bolted to flanges of the lower channel, and connected by light angle members 27 with the transverse channel piece 28 secured to the lower flanges of the upper channels- I3 and M (Figs. 1 and 3). These angle members 21 receive the hopper or loading box 29 and position it above the press boxes.

The bottom block it at its upper surface provides a support for anti-friction bearings 33 which support the lower rotatable casting member 3|, which extends laterally and supports the pairs of longitudinal channel members- 32, 33 having outwardly turned flanges. Transverse channels 32a, 33a are provided at each end of each press box, that is, at the ends of the longitudinally channels 32, 33 and near the centers thereof: the channels 32, 33 and 32a, 32a. are connected together by tying angles (Figs. 2 and 3) which preferably are welded to the transverse channels and bolted to the longitudinal channels. On the top-flange of the upper'ohannel mem'bers32; 33 are positioned'the laterally extending platforms 34' which'are formed of plate "m-etal'and are stiffened at their outer-edges and ends, and at intermediate points, by the channels 35, 36. 'Braces 31 are connected to" the channels tfi and extend inwardlyand' downwardly and'are supported on; and secured to the webs of; the lower channels33; thus providing a stifi strong support for -the platforms-3i. These structures, comprising the" casting 3i and the other parts, are connectedfixedly together to provide a rigid'structure capable of'supporting the weight of attendantson the platforms, and

"of receiving theweight 'of a bale'of cotton or platforms 3%.

"Fixedly mounted on the platforms '3 secured thereto and to stifieners 35 are provided the-bottomdoor -pivot blocks fill which" receive the upwardly extending door pivot rods' 42. These rods are-free at-their upper ends and extendupwardly through-transverse channel members 43, 44 (Figs. 1 and 3) which are apertured to receive the column 15. Each of these channel members 13, 4 3 is provided with a cast bushing 35 to which it is fixedly'secured, and which in turn provides a mountingt-hereitor on the column l5. The two'bushings 45 are connected by a sleeve 38' of appropriate-length, being fixed to this sleeve by the locking screws 41 so that the structure comprising'the channels- 43-, the bushings 45, and the sleeve -ltrigidly support the door pivot rods 42 against change of proper vertical position.

The lower channel l l rests upon the split sleeve iflwhich is received in a reduced portion of the column l5 and is clampedtightly to the column l5 to provide a support for carrying apart of the weight of the press box'doors.

The press comprises two press boxes,- one of which is located below the loading and tamping structure LT, while theiother is located "above the press ram PR, as will be described'herein v apart at their. upper ends for thereception of the press dogs and for observation of the course of loading and pressing, and stifiened at their bottoms by angles 56$.

These planks are secured to the pairs of stiffener members 59 which are illustrated as channel irons, and apertured for fitting around the corresponding pivot rod 42 for the respective door.. For providing smooth pivot points, filler blocks 5| are located in the channels 43, 44; and

these blocks are provided with clamping screws 52 which assure a proper positioning of the channels with respect to the rods 42, and prevent movement of'the doors up and down relative to the column it. It willbe noted-thatthe 'rods' 42' are themselves held in' thedoor "pivot blocks by screwsdii. Thus; screws 52 bind against rods Wand lreepthe sleeve assembly 46 from raising when the ramascends and screws 53 hold said rodslZsecurely-to*'b1ocks' 40 on platform 3%. The pairs'of stiffener members are preferably furthersupportedby the turnbuckle brace members "54. i

The end doors 'ED'for each of'the boxes are "mounted for rocking movement about horizontal axes, each of these axes being provided by a pair of hinge pieces 55 fixed to the door boards and pivoted with respect tothe hinge pieces 56 which are connected tothecross members 32a, (Figs. 2 and 3) joining the upper channels 32. These doors may swing outwardly at'their tops, in opening the press boxes torelease a bale, through a limited distance determined by the engagement of the doors with the vertical members 12, -15 and 26. Their inward movementis limited by the construction ofthe hinges and-the engagement of'the door boards withthe cross-members 372a, so that they are ready for-proper abutting relationship with the side doors, aswill be described hereinafter in conjunction with Fig. 8. These end doors arelikewise provided with the stiffening channel members'Slla-at the horizontal planes of the corresponding side door stiffening members a'li.

As stated above, the side doorsSD' are each provided with-press dogs. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 7,-the' side boards forming a door SD are provided with fiXeddogrod-bearings fill providing a mounting for a dog rod or shaft 6|.

-Oppositeeach of the spacesbetween the --door boards is mounted a-press' dog-*GZ- which can extend through the corresponding crevice and into the press box. a One of these dogs '62 has a bifurcated heel portion 62a with a pivot connection (it-to a-link M which is connected by a pivot 65 to fuitherlinks Eli which are mounted bya pivot pin 6? inside ahousing block-68 having an outwardly presented wall 69 with an aperture iii therein for receiving the-stem ii ofan eyebolt which engages around a pini2v engaged with the nurses. The outer end ofthe-eye-bolt H has a nut l3, locknut 73a and washer 14 for engaging a compression spring 15 which reacts against the wall 59. An adjusting screw 15 regulates the normalpositionof pin '61 which in turn regulates the relative positions" of links 64 and 66 to each other. This adjustment-affords a means of regulating the pressurerequired by the cotton against dogs 62 necessary to trip them from the full line position of Fig. 7 to the broken line position of Fig. 7. The housing block 68 is free for rotation in a clockwise direction about the axis of the rod 6| into the dotted line position of Fig. 7, while the dogs mays rock in a counterclockwise direction with the rods GI into the broken line position of Fig. 7, under the conditions described hereinafter, carrying with them the links into the position also shown in dashed lines and compressing the spring 15, so that this spring operates thereafter to return the dogs to the normal full line position.

The side doors SD and the outer end door ED of each box may be locked or clamped in position for filling or pressing by the use of ties, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8. Two ties are used at the outer end of each box, and each of these ties comprises an eye-bolt 90 adjustable in a block 9I having a pivotal mounting 9Ia between the corresponding pairs of side door stiffener members 55. The eye-bolt receives a link piece 92 having a slotted end 92a, which fits (Fig. 8) around the pin 93 of the cam piece 9d. This cam piece 54 is secured on the vertical shaft 95 which has a worm wheel 95 operated by a worm which may be rotated by the hand wheel 98. The slotted end link piece 92 may be easily engaged with or disengaged from the pin 93 when the latter is in the dotted line position of Fig. 8; and rotation of the shaft 95 in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 8) will cause the pin to draw the link piece 92 into position and toproduce a tension effect in the eye-bolt 90, so that the side doors SD are drawn tightly against the end doors ED. It will be noted that the stiffening channels 580: of the outer end door ED extend past the lateral edges of the boards for this door and furnish an abutment for the lateral edges of the boards of the side doors SD, and further that the blocks 9| operate, when the eye-bolts 90 are under tension, to press the members 59a and therewith the rest of the end door structure inward, and operate during filling, tamping and pressing to prevent outward movement of this end door at the corresponding corners. At the corner adjacent the shaft 95, the side door stiffener members 53 are provided with the stop and wedging members ilIb which correspondingly engage the stifiening members Eta to prevent outward movement of the end door ED during filling, tamping and pressing, and have inclined surfaces to assure a proper engagement of the side and end doors for forming the press box. At the inner end of the press box, the end door ED similarly has reinforcing members 50a to support the vertical boards thereof; and these members 59a likewise extend for abutting relation with the lateral edges of the boards of the side doors SD. Wedging blocks Bic are provided on the stiffener members 58 and have curved wedging surfaces for engagement with the end door stiffening members 56a when the side doors are swung closed, so that they operate for bringing the door edges into proper abutting relationship (Fig. 8) and maintaining them therein against internal pressure of the press box. It will be noted that the four doors of each press box are thus secured in rectangular form at the horizontal planes constituted by the stiffening members 5|], 50a by the utilization of the tying means and the wedging devices; and since this effect is produced at spaced points along the height of the box, a very tight assembly is effected.

. Since the press box which has just been loaded from the loading and tamping device LT is heavier than the press which has just been emptied of a pressed and tied bale, it is preferred to provide the lower structure of the rotatable assembly with a roller I00 which rests upon a support IUI connected to the lower channels Ill, II; and,.similarly, to prevent rising of the opposite endof the press by providing a shelf I02 above the corresponding roller I68. At each end of the press; also, is provided a locking bracket I03 having a notch therein for receiving the locking pawl I04 controlled by a locking lever I55 in order to assure that the boxes are retained in proper position beneath the loading and tamping device LT and above the press ram PR, so that no damage may be done to such structures byaccidental swinging of the rotatable assembly.

The press ram PR is shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 as comprisingthe lower block member I I5 having laterally rising wall portions for receiving the bolts III which fasten the block in position between the lower channels Iii, II, and resting on the lower flanges of these channels. This security of the parts is further assured by the tie bolt and collar devices II2 which extend through the channels H), II and thus secure the same against spreading opposite the ram PR. The ram structure further includes a head and gland structure H3, and the top or press plate IIfi of the ram proper. The ram may be operated, as usual, by hydraulic means; and includes also the cylinder IE5 (Fig. 4) and the piston H6 therein. It will be noted that this arrangement requires merely the excavation of a small hole deep enough to receive the cylinder and associated conduits, and that this hole may be lined by terra cotta pipe II'I.

Since the press is of the up-packing type, a follower block I20 is provided which is comprised of spaced channels having their edges directed downwardly and resting upon the top flanges of I-beams I2I which are tied together by clamping bolts and collars I22. The channels I20 forming the block are spaced apart to facilitate the proper insertion of the bale ties, and in the lower position of the ram (Fig. 4) rest upon supporting angles I23 secured to the lower portions of the rotatable assembly.

The pressure of the cotton is sustained by similar channel members I25 secured to the lower flanges of the top channel girders I3, I4 (Fig. 4), these channels I25 being similarly spaced to facilitate the insertion of the bale ties.

In operation, with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, cotton is delivered into the righthand press box which is now closed and clamped. As the tampers move downwardly in pressing the cotton during the loading operation, they can easily pass the press dogs 62 as the latter turn in a clockwise direction while rocking the corresponding housing 68. When the press box has been tamped to the desired fullness with cotton, the loading and tamping structure LT is raised and removed from the press box in the usual way. During its upward movement, the press dogs 62 yield, if necessary, by moving the links into the dashed line position and with compression of the spring 15.

The latch lever I05 is actuated and the press boxes are rotated about the axis of the column I5 so that the empty box is brought beneath the loading and tamping structure LT while the filled box is brought above the ram PR. The press dogs operate during this time for holding the cotton against bulging from the loaded press box. It will be noted that these dogs have an inward and downward curvature, facilitating this action.

The press ram PR is now energized and its top pressure plate H4 moves upwardly and engages the bottom faces of the I-beams I21, so that the follower block is raised and the cotton is forced upwardly, this movement being resisted by the head block I25. The cotton is thus compressed to the desired degree, the dogs 62 yielding upwardly and outwardly as the cotton is compressed and raised beneath them, and finally are practically squeezed out of the bale being formed.

When the cotton has been compressed to the desired extent, the handwheel 98 for the corresponding press box is backed ed, and the doors are released. The end doors are permitted to move outwardly about their lower hinges while the side doors are-swung open about the pivot rods 42. The bale ties are now inserted and clinched to secure the bale. The press ram PR is released and permitted to move downward, the follower block and bale operating to force it downward. When the follower block comes to the level of the upper edge of the plates 38, the movement of the press ram PR is stopped and the bale is pushed from this plate and usually immediately off the platform 34, and is removed from the vicinity of the press in the usual way. It will be noted that in a one story up-packing press of this type, the bale has but a small distance to drop in passing from the level of the follower block to the platform and thence to the ground, as the structure can be mounted above the pit lined by the tile H1, by the employment of a relatively narrow trench I30 which may be lined with concrete, if so desired, and serves to receive the channel girders II], II below the floor level. Thus the structure is extremely compact and requires relatively small building space for equipment of large capacity.

Figures 3 and 4 have been broken away to indicate the pertinent portions of the structures involved, but it will be understood that the end and sidedoors and other portions may be of any desired length for the formation of bales of the required dimensions.

' The structure provided is strong and rigid, and requires little excavation and only suiiicient space above the top-girder structure H! for receiving the loading and tamping devices, and hence the assembly is known as a one story rip-packing press. The column 55 with the top block 2! and bottom block I6 and the standard l2 connect the top girder structure and the bottom girder or base structure rigidly together for resisting relative vertical movements of these parts even under the circumstances incident to the operation of the ram; while the rotatable structure, comprising the bottom girders and stiffening members, provides a firm support for the door 7 structures in conjunction with the parts which are held in proper spaced and vertical relationship by their association with the column l5, as

shown in Fig. 3, even under the circumstances of I form structure having a countersink, a ram head mounted in the countersink, a follower slidably mounted within the platform structure in alignment with the ram head, vertically extending rods mounted directly on the platform structure, a bale chamber above the platform structure having doors perpendicular to the platform structure and extending throughout the height of the baling chamber, said doors being pivoted on said rods, means providing a vertical axis laterally of the bale chamber upon which the platform is movable horizontally, linings disposed against the inner surfaces of said channel members and projecting above the platform structure folded over and secured to the latter for reinforcement thereof and to provide fixed portions adjacent the bottom of the bale chamber, the inner surface of said lining being in alignment with the adjacent inner wall surface of the bale chamber, a tamper laterally positioned with respect to the ram head for movement into the bale chamber, the distance between the level of. the platform structure and the floor level being less than the distance between the inner surfaces of said doors.

2. A press having a platform structure, a ram means, a tamper means, a bale chamber above the platform structure for coaction with the ram means and the tamper means, a column providing a vertical axis laterally of the bale chamber upon which the platform is movable horizontally, said chamber having doors perpendicular to the platform structure, vertically positioned rods for supporting the doors, said rods having their lower ends directly secured to the platform structure and having their upper ends free, and means surrounding the vertical eolumn and connected to said rods.

3. A press having a platform structure, a ram means, a tamper means, a bale chamber above the platform structure for coaction with the ram means and the tamper means, a column providing a vertical axis laterally of the bale chamber upon which the platform is movable horizontally, said chamber having doors perpendicular to the platform structure, vertically positioned rods for supporting the doors, said rods having their lower ends directly secured to the platform structure and having their upper ends free, vertically spaced apart upper and lower members surrounding said column, means connecting said upper and lower members together adjacent said column, means on the column directly engaging and supporting the lower member, and pairs of spaced stiffening members on the doors between which the upper and lower members extend having openings through which said rods pass.

4. A press having a platform structure, a ram means, a tamper means, a bale chamber above the platform structure for coaction with the ram means and the tamper means, a column providing a vertical axis laterally of the bale chamber upon which the platform is movable horizontally, said chamber having doors perpendicular to the platform structure, vertically positioned rods for supporting the doors, said rods having their lower ends directly secured to the platform structure and having their upper ends free, vertically spaced apart upper and lower members surrounding said column, means connecting said upper and lower members together adjacent said column, means on the column directly engaging and supporting the lower member, said upper and lower members being directly connected to said rods.

GEO. G. SMITH. HUGH ROBERTS, JR. 

